Park Hill soccer wants to rely on speed

With the loss of a handful of leading scorers from last year's 9-11-1 team to graduation, the Park Hill girls’ soccer team will attempt to surpass the .500 mark for the fourth straight year in hopes of becoming a recognized threat to the competition. Coach Manny Catano will look to counter the lost scoring with a more balanced attack this year.

“We’re want to be balanced offensively and defensively,” Catano said.

Returning to the fold are Sydney Hultz, Rayci Lee, Shelby Blanchard, Marisa Manzo, Catherine Netwal, and Holly Maier. Catano says he has seen good things so far and expects Lee and Hultz to step into scoring roles for the Trojans as they scored six and four goals respectively last year.

One benefit to being young last year is that many of those players return this season with some experience. But as the saying goes, Park Hill will be out with the old and in with the new in a sense this year. While the Trojans welcome back some key pieces from last year’s team, they will demand a high level of contributions from their incoming freshmen class, one Catano says is mature and talented. It also includes the program’s only goalkeeper, Claudia Fonseca , who will serve as Park Hill’s last line of defense against opposing offenses.

“I’m very impressed with how they’ve handled the first couple weeks of practice and what they’ll be able to add to our team,” Catano said. “They’ll be something to watch.”

Something Park Hill hopes they can really take advantage of teams at is their quickness and speed on the outside. Without control, one of Catano’s most important focuses, they won’t be able to take advantage of the potential scoring opportunities.

“Being composed and able to control the ball without losing possession is one of our highest priorities,” Catano said.

In a game where one burst of momentum could mean the difference in a low scoring game, keeping possession and using their speed are two areas Park Hill will need to excel in to achieve a satisfying record against what appears to be a very competitive schedule. Their season will kick-off with the Lee’s Summit Tournament and will follow with tough matchups against Lee’s Summit West twice, Liberty, Park Hill South, and Kearney.